Hundreds of bees and hives poisoned

Up to 1600 beehives in the Batemans Bay area have been destroyed in what appears to be a deliberate attack. Beekeepers say that sometime over the weekend their hives have been sprayed with poison, killing all the bees and ruining the honey and contaminating the frames and boxes. The hives are located at various locations in state forests and national parks suggesting that they have been targeted deliberately in an organised attack.

Beekeeper Pat Roberts told the ABC that his hives had been sprayed with pesticide over the weekend leaving the beehives full of dead bees.

With so many hives over a large area, often remote, he says the attackers must have been well equipped.

Laurie Kershaw says his hives are 15kms off a major highway and accessible only by state forest roads.

He says it is a deliberate attack and fears it will happen again.

"You can't live with your own bees out in the forest", he says.

The beehives were located on various properties in the Batemans Bay region and in the Boyne State Forest and Murramarang National Park.

The beekeepers say they will need to destroy the boxes and will need to start again from scratch.

Officers from the Department of Primary Industries and the Environmental Protection Authority have sent dead bees and swabs from the boxes for analysis and confirmation of the cause of the destruction.

They are hoping for preliminary results early next week.

Inspector Peter Volf from the Batemans Bay Police says that up to 1600 hives have been destroyed at a value of approximately $300,000.

Apparently there was a similar incident in the area a few years ago.

"You don't see this every day. If it is established that this was a deliberate act then you'd need to have a knowledge of beekeeping for sure," he says.

He asks that if anyone has seen anything, or has information to please call the Batemans Bay Police on 4472 0099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.